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Yia Valley

Roman Amphitheatre in Amman was built in honour of Emperor Antoninus Pius (138–161 CE). It could hold up to 6000 spectators. You can climb up via pretty steep stairs to enjoy this view.

Odeon was built at the same time of the big theatre, but hosted only about 500 people and was used for music, poetry readings, debates, or lectures.

The view on the Amman’s citadel from the terrace of our Rainbow House hotel.

The lush environment of the Sufra restuarant in Amman. Must try for everyone.

And in the other direction we get this viewof the city.

Citadel by day has its own splendor. The fisrt morning glimps without tourists.

Women headdresses in the museum of popular traditions within the roman theatre.

View on the city from the citadel. Jordanians proudly display their flag.

Archeological museum at the citadel. Left: Double headed statue from plaster and raisin (6500 BC). Right: An unique clay sarcofagus (more than 4000 years old).

Modern meets traditional. View on Amman’s downtown from the citadel.

Osaka July 2023

The view on the Amman’s citadel from the terrace of our Rainbow House hotel.

The lush environment of the Sufra restuarant in Amman. Must try for everyone.

Hokkaido 2019

Of course I have seen photos of the marvelous treasury in Petra. But somehow I got an impression that Jordan can’t compete with the vastness of Sahara and Jordan was not making it up to my

Having fun under Um Fruth bridge in Wadi Rum.

Sunrise camel ride in Wadi Rum after a camping night.

Visiting the Blue Mosque in Amman. It felt more touristic than real, but at the end it was fun.

Our heavnly feast in the Sufra restaurant in Amman. Really do not miss it, the flavours are so special. Safer to book your place in advance.

In front of the Artemis temple in Jerash.

Travel tips

As for no

Jerah - Greco-Roman city of Gerasa

Urban centre from 3. century BC, zenith in 130 AD ad it was a favourite city of Hadrian. The city was controlling the trade of spices and incence. Later Christian city under Byzantine Empire. Muslims took over in 630 AD. It was destroyed during crusadec in 1112 AD

Hadrian’s Arch is an 11-metre high triple-arched gateway erected to honor the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian in the winter of 129–130. The arch originally stood to almost 22 m and probably had wooden doors. It features some unconventional, possibly Nabataean architectural features. It was intended as a new south gate.

**Forum (Oval Plaza)** – an unusually wide, asymmetrical plaza at the beginning of the Cardo (or Colonnaded Street), built in the 1st century AD. This is a view from the upper temple of the Sanctuaty of Zeus. In the foreground we can see rectangular temenos with the naos (shrine or temple) [3] in the northern half of the temenos courtyard.

**South Theater** – an amphitheatre that seats up to 3000. It is occasionally used today for concerts and musical productions.

Bagpipers in traditional Jordanian military dress perform daily in the South Amphithatre.

The Sanctuary of Zeus Olympios overlooks the Oval Plaza. The area was warshipped from bronze age, through Roman Era up to an earthquake in 749 AD. The high temple with large columns with Corinthian capitals was built in 162/163 AD together with a monumental staircase. Below the high temples is the rectangular area of the sacred area of temenos.

Mosaic floor of the Church of St. John the Baptist from the city Byziantine period.

North Decumanus running into the Cardo via the North Tetrapylon. The North Gate is visible in the background.

**Hippodrome** – a partially restored Roman-era stadium. At only 245 m long and 52 m wide, it was the smallest hippodrome in the Roman Empire.

South Gate was probably a prototype of the Hadrian’s Arch. In 4th centrury AD it became a part of the city walls, for the first time city needed to defend itself like this.

Cardo, a 600 m collonaded street that runs the length of the city. It was once lined with the city’s major buildings, shops and residences. A complex drainage system lies below the stone paving. View from the Temple of Zeus.

The North Theatre that was originally built in 135/140 AD as *bouleuterion*, which means as a meeting place of the *boule* (council of citizens). In arou n 160 AD it was expanded to Odeon that could host 1500 people.

South Decumanus, east–west-oriented road that tuns perpendicular to the main Cardo.

**Temple of Artemis** – impressive temple ruins dedicated to the patron goddess of the city. The construction began in 2nd century AD but was never completed and only 12 from the originally planned 32 columns were erected.

Propylaeum of the Sanctuatry of Artemis, the monumenal entrance from the Cardo.

Ajloun Castle and town

The entrance to the Ajloun castle is from a small square.

On the terrace on top of the Ajloun fortress.

View from the Ajloun fortress to the surrounding valleys.

An example of a vaulted interior of the fortress.

The gap above the enatrnce door was used to our the boiling liquids on the enemy.

With the 800 years old minaret of Ajloun.

Madaba - city of mosaics

Most of the mosaics was created in the 6th/7th century during the Byzantine period, developed from the classical Hellenistic-Roman tradition. Madaba's heyday continued until the 8th century under the Muslim Umayyads, who were tolerant of Christianity.

The elaborate figurative floor design of a private villa from the 6th century, located at the core of the Archaeological Park I, is one of the best mosaics in Madaba. This Hippolythus hall (as the author was inspired by the Hippolythus story from Europides) had been built over an older Roman temple and was covered by the Church of the Virgen Mary about 100 years later.

Yet another detail of the mosaic from the Hyppolytus hall. On top personifications of three cities: Rome, Gregoria, and Madaba.

Detail of the a mosaic - hunter and bear - from the East Wing of the Burnt Palace in the Archeological Park II.

Mosaic detail from the West Wing of Burnt Palace in the Archeological Park II.

The mosaic Map of Madaba in St George's Church is one of the oldest evidences of ancient cartography. About a quarter of the original mosaic has been preserved. The map covered the area from Lebanon in the north to the Nile delta in the south, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the desert in the east.

The oldest mosaic found in Madaba from the first decade of the 6th century. It was a part of the floor of a baptistry chapel, now rellocated to Madaba museum.

Detail of the Eastern Panel mosaic from the Hypplythus hall. On the right is Aphrodite seated on the thorne next to Adonis holding a lance. In the middle three Graces with cupids playing love intrigues and on the left a peasant girl.

Floor of the Church of the Virgin Mary in the Archeological Parc I. It is a re-making of an original mosaic floor (end of the 6th/beginning of the 7th cent) that was constructed during the Umayyad period when the church was restored.

Mosaic floor of the the Martyr’s Church in the Archeological Park II. It is not fully clear who caused the iconoclastic mutilation of this (and many other in Jordan) mosaics.

Mosaic detail from the West Wing of the Burnt Palace in the Archeological Park II.

Detail of Madaba Map with a view of the map of Jerusalem with city walls.

View of Madaba from the bell tower of the Shrine of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

Tradition continues - detail form a souvenir shop.

Wadi Ma’In and Hot Springs

Driving down to Wadi Ma’In you get spectacular views of the Dead Sea

Ma’In Hot Springs Resort & Spa is set in an unique location.

View from our balcony on the lush vegetation inside the wadi.

The spa building. Interior is euqually amazing, with a pool right below that waterfall. It is quite expensive, but worth it if you can reserve sufficient time for it.

Short walk from the hotel is this huge waterfall that is open for public, apart early mornings, when it is reserved for hotel guests.

The term “wadi” is used to refer to canyons that are typically dry and flooded only during the rainy season. It is typical for dry areas with almost no vegetation and soil, so that rain water cannot be asborbed by the surface. But in Wadi Ma’In there is an unusual and rather constant source of water - of thermal water! Several sources feed various waterfalls coming down to the bottom of wadi. It is a unique location as is the drive down to impressive 264 m below the sea level. Ma’In Hot Springs Resort & Spa is absolutly worth to stay, in spite of some hick-ups in the offered services.

Wadi Ma’In is a deep canyon down to which you can get via this steep, winding road.

The main pool with warm thermal water and amazing view on the waterfall.

Yet another spectacular view from the breakfast terrace on the thermal pool and waterfall.

Fortress of Machaerus in Mukawir - where Salome danced

Fortress of Machaerus is located on a hill with unique 360' degree views. Originally built Hasmonean Dynasty ruling Judea in the 1st centrury BC, in 57 BC destroyed and in 30 BC rebuilt by cruel Herod the Great. The fortress was then passed to his son Herod Antipas, who took for his Herodias, originally wife of his brother Philip. It is at this castle that happened the famous Salome’s dance (Salome was a daughter of Herodias and Philipp), during the 49’s birthday party of Antipas. She asked for her dance, following advice of her mother Herodias, the head of John Baptist, who was seeing the new marriage of Herodias as a sin. At the end of the road is a parking lot and then a short uphill path brings you in the middle of the ancient fortress.